As a device which resolves constraints on installation when being used as light blocking and light adjusting means such as a curtain or a blind or as a screen window or a partition and realizes smooth and stable opening and closing operation, the applicant of the present invention provides a screen device (for example, Patent Document 1).
In the screen device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a screen is mounted to one of a pair of screen mounting frames, which are arranged so as to oppose to each other and at least one of which is slidable, so as to allow free contraction and expansion between the both screen mounting frames, and a pair of sliding guide frames are disposed near both end portions of the screen, which are not the end portions mounted to the screen mounting frames. The sliding guide frames each include rigid units each having a pair of opposed sidewalls and a bridging portion mutually connecting the pair of sidewalls. The adjacent two rigid units are connected to each other so as to be rotatable. The sliding guide frame are flexuous, and at least one end thereof is a free end so as to be capable of being stored in and pulled out from the screen mounting frame. Portions of the sliding guide frames pulled out from the screen mounting frames in association with the sliding movement of the screen mounting frames are kept in its straightness. With the provision of the sliding guide frames, resolving of constraints on the installation and smooth and stable opening and closing operation are achieved.
The above described screen device may be manufactured into a desired size according to the size of an opening such as a window or a door frame, for example. However, the following problems are pointed out specifically in the case where the width in the opening and closing direction, that is, the width in the direction of sliding movement of the screen mounting frame is large.
When the screen receives strong wind in a state in which the screen is expanded and hence the screen device is closed, the screen may be deflected significantly by the wind pressure. When the screen is significantly deflected in this manner, a large gap is generated with respect to the sliding guide frame, and hence the functions of the screen device such as the light blocking effect and the insect-proof property are impaired.
In the screen device having the sliding guide frames disposed near both the upper and lower end portions of the screen, the upper sliding guide frame is supported from below by the rigidity of the screen, so that the straightness of the sliding guide frame pulled out from the screen mounting frame can be held stably even when the width of the opening and closing direction is significantly large. However, when the screen is deflected significantly as described above, the support by the screen is insufficient, and hence the upper sliding guide frame is deflected by its own weight, whereby the opening and closing operation of the screen device is impaired.
From the above-described problems, the deflection of the upper sliding guide frame disposed in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the screen due to its own weight can be resolved by a cantilever in the screen device (Patent Document 2) which is proposed by the applicant of the present invention. However, since the cantilever does not have a function to restrain the deflection due to the wind pressure of the screen, other technical means is required in order to solve the above-described problem caused by the deflection of the screen due to the wind pressure drastically.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3323461
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2002-242563